Description

Trichocereus peruvianus ‘Aricapampa’ | ‘Peruvian Torch’ | 25 seeds

Another of our UK exclusives, Trichocereus peruvianus ‘Aricapampa’ is a great cactus variety – a ‘Peruvian Torch’ near the city of Aricapampa in Peru. Grab this while you’re able – we don’t know whether we’ll be able to obtain any more of this seed once our current stocks run dry!

A very impressive, fast-growing columnar cactus related to Trichocereus bridgesii (‘Achuma’, ‘Bolivian Torch’) and Trichocereus pachanoi (‘San Pedro’), Trichocereus peruvianus (syn. Echinopsis peruviana) is considered by many to exist on a continuum or complex with both Trichocereus cuzcoensis and Trichocereus macrogonus. Covered with fierce, reddish-brown-white spines (between approximately two and eight centimetres long), the species grows frosted, blue to green coloured columns (up to roughly eighteen centimetres in diameter) that reach up to six metres tall. Gorgeous, white to whitish blooms appear between late spring and summer.

Native to the Peruvian Andes (growing at a height of around two thousand to three thousand metres), peruvianus forms a complex intergrade with related species including cuzcoensis and macrogonus, which loosely comprises of many fantastic varieties and hybrids. As are many of the columnar Trichocereus species, peruvianus is often used as a hedge plant and also as an important adjunct to certain indigenous medicine practices.

Peruvianus seed stores well and the species grows easily outside (anywhere in USDA Hardiness Zones 8-11) or indoors. Sow in mildly acidic to mildly alkaline soil, progressing from light shade to full to partial sun as the young plants mature. When transplanting into larger, separate containers (after the first year or so), space between fifty centimetres and a metre apart, so they have ample room to grow. Allow the soil to completely dry out between waterings, reducing over the winter months as per your local climate. This species may also be propagated via cuttings.

All the seed sold by Arkham’s Botanical was freshly and ethically sourced in 2018-2019